Stupid Cupid
by Kaeia Perez
Summary: Human Spike/highschool. Buffy moves into town and meets the sexy brit next door... can he win her heart?
1. Chapter 1

Stupid Cupid

Chapter 1

Buffy Summers was not happy to be leaving New York. She had friends, a boyfriend… She was happy living on the east coast and now her mom's job was transferring them to a placed called Sunnydale, California. She didn't even really like the sun and they were basically moving to the beach capital. She sighed to herself as she watched her mom pulling up to the "Welcome to Sunnydale" sign. She hated it already here but she knew it wouldn't help to make her mom feel worse about this…

As they pulled up to their new home, Joyce Summers turned to her daughter and smiled. "Here we are honey, what do you think?"

"It's swell mom" she looked up sadly. It really didn't look so bad; it was two stories which was a step up from the apartment they had shared. This was going to take a lot of adjusting but she knew she needed to try.

"Why don't you explore the town? It might help if you meet some people before you start school tomorrow" Joyce nudged her out of the car, knowing she would never make the decision on her own.

"Yea alright, I'll be back in awhile" and with that she made her way into town.

Distracted by a dress she saw in a window, she didn't realize anyone was in her path until she rammed into the hard body.

"Oh god, I'm so sor-" she was cut off as she looked into the ice blue eyes that seemed to look through her rather than at her.

"No harm love, though you might look first next time" he teased.

She felt like she couldn't breathe when he spoke. Not only was he gorgeous but he had a sexy British accent as well? Life was good; he was making her forget why she hated it here to begin with.

"I-I'm Buffy. Buffy Summers. I just moved to town today" she was surprised she could speak with his intense gaze on her.

"Name's William Pratt, but my friends call me Spike" he grinned at her, making her legs feel like mush.

"Nice to meet you, er, Spike. Well I should be going. I wanted to look around town a little bit before I have to be home"

"Right then. Well if you'd like a tour, I would be happy to show you around… I need to kill time before I can head home anyway…" Man, his smile was really affecting her. In lieu of talking, Buffy just nodded and placed her hand on his arm as a sign to go.

Their first stop was the coffee shop, Spike claiming that she never tasted anything as good as this before. After the first sip, she knew he was right and smiled appreciatively. She was a huge caffeine addict so she knew more often than not, she would find herself here drinking coffee and writing in her journal.

Their next stop was The Bronze. He explained that it was the local hangout and was open most nights. He told her of the poetry readings and even open mic nights with Karaoke. She smiled at this as she always loved Karaoke Sunday in New York.

"So Spike, how long have you lived here?" she questioned, finally finding her voice.

"Oh, my parents moved here when I was eight… we used to live in London" He gave a sheepish grin as he figured she probably already knew was from England.

"That must have been very exciting living in another country. I've always wanted to visit England" Her room was filled with travel brochures from faraway places she always dreamed of going to.

"Yes well- London lost it's thrill after awhile. It is nice to visit my Grandad and Granmum though. Their house is quite posh" he rambled, losing himself in the memory of his family.

Buffy stared at him, relishing in how cute he looked right now lost in his thoughts. His face took on a softer side, it almost seemed like a different person from the cocky and arrogant Spike he was trying to project. It was nice, sure he was hot, but she couldn't seriously consider dating him if that's all he was. _Was she seriously debating whether to date him or not? _Things were fresh with breaking up with Ford and Spike hadn't even expressed that kind of interest in her anyway. Stupid Girl.

Shaking her head, she tried to kick those thoughts loose from her head. "I-I have to go" she said suddenly, moving away from the confused boy.

"Right ok, I guess I'll see you tomorrow for school?" He was trying to act cool but really he was disappointed she was leaving. He liked talking to her but he would just have to try harder at school.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Buffy tore everything up in her closet trying to find an outfit. She had finally gotten her room unpacked and in place and now she was making it messy again trying to find something that would impress Spike. She knew she shouldn't care but she couldn't help it. She wanted to look nice for him. Finally she decided on a red halter top and black leather pants and headed to school.

The halls were a nightmare. There were people everywhere, staring and whispering around her as she looked for Spike. She figured with a town this small, she was probably the big news for the day so she chose to suck it up and ignore everyone. She slipped her ear buds on and let her IPod drown out the noise.

Of course now that she couldn't hear, she didn't realize she was about to run into someone until it was too late. Great. Her gracefulness was clearly left back in New York. This was her second day in California and the second person she plowed into. Maybe later today she could go for broke.

"I'm sorry, I've been so clumsy lately" she looked up and saw a boy staring at her. He was… beautiful. Chocolate eyes looked at her kindly. She bent to pick up her books at the same time he did and ended up bumping heads.

"See? Told you. Clumsy" She laughed.

"Or maybe I did it on purpose so I could meet you" he seemed like he was teasing she found herself hoping he wasn't.

"I'm Angel O'Neill" he said extending his hand to her.

"Buffy Summers" she smiled flirtatiously as she placed her hand in his.

"OI PEACHES! What you doin knockin the poor girl over? What, your giant forehead get in the way again?" came a voice that was fast approaching.

"Shut up Spike, it was just an accident. I was getting to know Buffy here" he explained, now aware he still had her hand.

"Hey there, Pet. Happy to see you made it in one piece. Don't imagine you'd want to hang around this poofter though. Want me to show you where your first class is?" He wanted to get her away and quick. Angel tended to steal the girls he liked and break their hearts and he would be damned if he let that happen with Buffy.

"Actually Spike, I was about to take her there. Buffy, would you like me to?" Between the two of them, he knew she was bound to choose him. Before she had a chance to speak though, they heard a small voice behind them.

"Oh god, I'll take you Buffy. Where do you need to go?" Dawn spoke up as she walked over to the three. She was a mouse of a girl with long brown hair but she had attitude to combat her size.

"Dawn pet, how are you?" Spike was sickly sweet and he took his sisters hand and kissed it.

"Ew gross Spike, like I need big brother drool on me" she rolled her eyes at him. She knew he and Angel were pulling their competition crap so she wanted to get Buffy out of the middle.

"I need to go to Home Economics" Buffy spoke up suddenly, understanding the situation a little better now.

"Yea? Great. My class is that way so I can walk with you" she said cheerfully as she led the way.

"Wait, Home Ec is my first class too!" Spike called as he ran after the girls.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Angel just stared in shock after them, trying to figure out what just happened. Did she just turn him down? He was not going to give up so easily.

As they filed in the classroom, the teacher called Buffy to the front.

"Class, this is Buffy Summers. She's joining us from Ilion, New York so everyone make her feel welcome. Buffy, you can take a seat between Mr. Pratt and Miss Rosenberg." She gestured to an empty seat between Spike and a pretty redhead.

Without a word, Buffy sat in the seat and looked at the redhead she now noticed staring at her.

"Hi, I'm Willow" she spoke suddenly.

"Hi Willow, I'm Buffy" she smiled at the girl.

"Do you have someone to sit with at lunch because you could sit with us" she offered.

Spike listened close to this question; he was part of Willow's lunch group which meant he would get to have lunch with her too.

"Sure I will, where should I meet you?"

"Well let me see your schedule" Willow reached over to take the paper, Spike blatantly trying to look over Buffy's shoulder.

He was very pleased with what he saw; he had every class with her. He would get to be near her every day. He knew that most classes were assigned seating but Pratt and Summers were close in the alphabet so he figured he could trade with someone for a seat next to her. He was so deep in thought he didn't hear the teacher talking to him.

"Well, Mr. Pratt?"

"Huh?"

"I said, what makes dough rise?" Mrs. Larson asked again impatiently.

"Yeast?"

"Very good, just next time spend more time paying attention to the lesson and less time watching Miss Summers neck, okay?" she sighed.

He blushed profusely as he saw Buffy smile and Willow snicker at him. "Yes Ma'am"

"Good, Moving on-" Her voice was drowned out as Spike noticed Buffy still looking at him.

As the bell rang, Willow turned to Spike. "Ok so, we'll meet outside P.E. okay? Spike? Hello, are you even listening" when she shoved him lightly, he fell out of his stupor.

"Wha-what, I'm listening"

"I said, we're gonna meet outside P.E., Dummy"

"Ok ok, I'll see you there!"

"Oh and since you and Buffy seem to have all the same classes, I volunteered you to show her around" Willow grinned mischievously knowing that this would please Spike. Judging by the look on his face, she knew she had done the right thing.

"I'll see you at lunch Buffy, Spike will show you where your next class is" she promptly turned around, leaving the two alone.

"Well, shall we?" he held out his arm for her to hold on to like some kind of gentleman.

All through P.E., Spike kept getting hit with the ball; not because he was a poor athlete but because he spent his energy watching a certain blonde chatting up Angel. He really hated that git, he was kicking himself that he forgot they had that class together. And now tall, dark and forehead was making googly eyes at HIS girl. Well ok she wasn't his girl, but he sure felt like she could be given the chance. He almost had the nerve to say something when the bell rang for lunch. Quickly he ran into the locker room to change and grab his stuff and ran up to Buffy before Angel got there.

"Ready to go, Pet?" he tried his best to appear calm though she made him feel like his heart would burst from his chest.

"Actually Spike, I promised Angel we would wait for him" she swooned in the direction of the locker room.

"Oh…well, I'll try to hurry the git along then" he stalked back to the locker room to find Angel pulling on a clean shirt.

"What's your game, Peaches? You could have any girl in the school and you want Buffy. Why?"

"…because you want her." Angel said so plainly that Spike wasn't sure he heard him right.

"Beg pardon? Where do you get that from? I just worry your giant forehead might crush her or she might choke on all the hair gel you use" he laughed.

"I don't buy it Spike; you wouldn't put up a fuss for someone you DON'T like. You like her and I'm going to have her… again and again" from his tone, Spike knew exactly what he meant. He saw red; before he realized what he was doing he was on Angel, punching him in the face. If it hadn't been for the small but strong arms pulling him away, he probably never would have stopped.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"What the hell are you doing, Spike?" Dawn screamed. Principal Snyder had said that if Spike got into one more fight on school grounds then he would be expelled. But that didn't matter to him. All that mattered was that Angel was being disrespectful about Buffy and head to knock the smug look off his face.

"Ponce just got on my nerves is all" he shrugged.

"He's gotten on your nerves before so what makes this time so different?" Dawn was not buying his excuse; Spike didn't get into fights for just no reason.

"I just couldn't take his crap anymore" his voice faltered as she led him into the gym, knowing she didn't believe his reasoning.

Buffy and Willow looked horrified when they saw Spike's bruised and bloodied face. Seems Angel had gotten a few hits in after all.

"Oh my god Spike, are you okay? I saw Angel come out… what the hell happened in there?" Willow rushed over to inspect his wounds.

"Peaches and I just had a bit of a rough n' tumble" he shrugged.

Willow knew what he meant by that but she couldn't help the strange look that crossed her face.

"Sorry, a what?" Buffy was not in on all of his Brit lingo.

"Rough n' Tumble. It means we got into a fight"

"Yes well from your face, I figured there was fighting. But why?" She had her suspicions but she needed to hear him say it.

"He just said some things about someone I care about…" He really didn't want to tell her this.

"What'd he say that was so terrible you beat him up?" Buffy demanded.

"Look, he said he was going to-" he cut himself off, refusing to say more. "Bugger this" he whispered, storming out of the room.

Willow, Dawn and Buffy stood there for a moment before walking after him. If he didn't want to talk about it then they would not force him.

Lunch was awkward and quiet; at least for the four of them.

"Ok Seriously, what is going on with you guys? And why is Spike all bruised up?" Xander had enough of the tension in the air. It was clear something happened and it needed to be aired.

"Yea Spike, tell them what happened" Dawn snapped. She knew he didn't want to talk about it but this was important.

"Shut up Bit" She could tell he was seething even though he used her pet name.

"Dawn, do you know something" Xander got in position to interrogate the girl when Spike stormed off in a huff.

"I'll… go talk to Spike" Dawn said softly as she ran after her brother.

She caught up with him sitting by the fountain in the courtyard, head down in his hands. She slowly walked over and sat down next to him, laying her head lightly on his shoulder.

"It's Buffy, huh?" she asked.

Spike jerked up at her words. "How… how did you know?" He thought he had hidden his feelings pretty well but then his sister always knew when something was bothering him.

"Spike, I'm not an idiot. I saw the way you look at her. Just suck it up and ask her out!"

"I can't do that, Bit. I don't even know if she's interested and I don't want to make a fool of myself"

"Look, I don't know what Angel said but you don't need to worry about him… ask her to go to The Bronze tonight. The whole gang is going so you won't need to feel the pressure of being on a date" she suggested knowing he would buy that. He was so easy sometimes.

She could see the little wheels turning in his head as he thought about it. "Dawn you're a pretty smart little sister" he grinned. This just might work! With that he headed back in to find Buffy.

As he got back to the table, he noticed Angel had joined the party. "What are you doing here" he barked.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I was just asking Buffy to The Bronze tonight. I figured we could sing together"

"You don't even sing, Angel" Xander protested. He never wanted to do Karaoke before, usually he just went into the back with a random girl.

"Well for her, I might make an exception" he argued and held her hand in his.

Buffy was flattered but she didn't want to be in the middle of this weird feud that Spike and Angel seemed to have.

"I was actually thinking of singing alone, Angel. But I will go with you guys" she offered.

"Ok I'll pick you up then!" Angel wasn't really asking and he made it clear.

"Why don't we walk? I basically live just down the street…"

"Me too, I'll walk with you love" Spike was ecstatic to hear they lived near each other. Maybe he could walk her home one day…

"Great so it's settled. Angel and Spike will walk me and we'll meet up there" she ripped out two sheets of paper from her notebook and jotted down her address for them. "Here's the address, I'll be ready by 7:30"

Spike looked over the address and just about choked on his water. Turns out she was the next door neighbor his mum had been going on about. He really needed to pay more attention when she talked.

"Hey, isn't this where you live Spike?" Angel had a bad feeling about this.

"Oh ya, looks like you moved in next door, Pet" Spike could not grin any wider as he said this.

"Wow, Really? That's so cool!" Buffy was so pleased to know one of her neighbors.

"Guess it was meant to be" he laughed, catching the look Angel was now giving him.

The bell rang suddenly and Spike hurried to pull Buffy's chair for her. "Time to get to class, Pet" he said extending his arm to her.

"Lead the way" she giggled walking away with him, leaving Angel to brood.

The rest of the day ticked away too slowly for Spike. He had agreed to walk Buffy home since her momw was starting her new job at a local art gallery today. As the clock ticked, he suddenly felt nervous and extremely giddy. Things were finally going his way for once.

"So, what are you going to sing tonight?" he asked casually as they neared her house.

"Oh just a song I like. You?" she didn't want to explain the whole story behind the song… not like it mattered anymore anyway.

"Yea, I have something prepared" he said with a wink. He hoped she liked his performance, it was going to be special even if she didn't know it.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Once again Buffy was tossing clothes everywhere. She had never been this worried about her appearance before she met Spike. He just did something to her. She was about to try on the same outfit for the tenth time when she heard the door.

"Mom! Can you get that and stall!" she yelled down the stairs. _Why couldn't they be late?_

Joyce Summers laughed and shook her head as she answered the door. She was surprised to see not one boy but two picking up her daughter.

"Hi, I'm Buffy's mom, Joyce. Please come in" she said opening the door wider for them to enter.

"Hi Joyce, my name is William Pratt… I live next door. The git behind me is Angel O'Neill. We both go to school with Buffy" he was clearly trying to dominate the conversation and Angel knew it.

Stepping in front of Spike, he took Joyce's hand and kissed it. "Actually, it's Liam O'Neill; Angel is just a nickname. I don't think it's possible to have this many beautiful women in one family" he was really laying it on thick but when she blushed he knew she bought it.

"Why thank you, Liam, let me just see what is taking Buffy so long" she quickly made her way upstairs and knocked on her daughter's door.

Thankfully, Buffy was ready now. She decided on a long sleeveless dress and pumps. As she came down the stairs she heard a gasp. She was worried she looked bad until she saw his face. Spike was looking at her like he'd never seen anything more beautiful in his life. She blushed a little and waved at the boys.

"Hey guys, ready to go?"

"Buffy… you look gorgeous, Pet" Spike finally got out. He didn't know someone could be so perfect.

"Yes, he's right you know. You do look great. We should go though before we're late" Angel ran up to help her put on a shawl and grabbed the door as they left.

Joyce smiled to herself, seems Buffy was beginning to live again after all. The nightmares still happened but it looked like she was getting over him…

The Bronze was packed. Angel, Spike and Buffy made their way through the crowd to find the gang. Finally, reaching the table, they all grabbed the slips to get in line for Karaoke. Spike asked if he could go first and handed his slip in. The MC let him know he was next as the previous song ended and he settled on a stool on stage.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, you've seen him before…. Give a round of applause for Spike!" the crowd went crazy then as he grabbed a guitar.

_I'm through with pastry,  
No more sticky bun or cherry tarts  
I want a good girl,  
One who rocks but has a decent heart  
Well I've been waiting  
Now I'm sick of that  
I think I saw you..._

Katie, come out and play  
I've got a present  
For you today  
It's got your name on it  
I hope I spelled it right  
Ohoh yeah  
Ohoh yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

"I hope you like that, it was for a special girl I know" he blushed and walked offstage sitting next to Buffy and Dawn.

"That was awesome Spike, but whose the girl?" Buffy was squealing. She didn't think he was able to sing like that.

"Next up, Buffy Summers!" called the MC.

She breathed deep and went up, the music beginning to play.

_When you were mine  
I gave you all of my money  
Time after time  
You done me wrong_

_Cause, just like a train  
You let all my friends come over and eat  
And you were so strange  
You didn't have the decency to change the sheets_

_Oh girl, when you were mine  
I use to let you wear all my clothes  
You were so fine  
Maybe that's the reason that it hurt me so_

_I know, that you're goin with another guy  
But I don't care, cause I love you baby that's no lie  
Love you more mine than I did when you were mine  
_

_When you were mine  
You were kinda sorta my best friend  
So I was blind  
I let you fool around_

_I never cared  
I never was the kind to make a fuss  
When he was there  
Sleepin in between the two of us_

Spike thought he saw tears in her eyes as she finished but it could have just been the lights. At the back of the club, someone was staring intently as Buffy was singing. _Maybe she does care… only one way to find out_ he thought as he walked over to her table.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Buffy was laughing at something Xander said when she felt the familiar feeling in her gut that only he caused… But that was impossible; he was back in New York… She almost fainted when she saw him approaching.

"Ford…" she got out, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Hi Buff" he said nervously. He'd planned so many times how this would go in his head and now he found he didn't know what to say. "You… look good."

"Ford, why are you here?" she demanded a little too loudly, causing everyone at the table to stare. How dare he try to interrupt her life! "Got tired of your whore back home? Oh wait, she got herself locked up right?" she could feel the tears threatening to run down her face.

"Look, I didn't come to fight. I wanted to talk and I knew you wouldn't take any of my calls" Spike tensed when Ford grabbed her hand, ready to act if she needed him.

"Let's step outside for a minute. Guys, I'll be right back" Angel and Spike started to get up to protest but she held up her hands to signal it was alright while she and Ford headed outside.

John Ford was the love of her life and her boyfriend all through high school. It was only in the last two months she found out he had been cheating on her with her friend Faith and god knows how many others. She never would have known either had she not walked in on them one night. She was destroyed, she thought Ford was the one… she gave him everything she had and he still didn't appreciate it.

"What do you want, Ford?" she was not hiding the anger she felt anymore.

"I came here because I hate how we left things. Faith was… a mistake. I see that now. I never meant to hurt you though… I love you. I want you to come back to New York with me. We can get a place together and start over" she could see the pleading in his eyes and it broke her heart… but she'd heard all this crap before when she caught them together.

"You can't just come here after what you did and expect me to leave with you. I'm building a life here, I'm making new friend. I'm not going to give that up for someone who's proven to me they can't be trusted. Even if I did go back, how do I know you won't do it again? I couldn't take my heart being broken again by you. You were my everything and you threw me aside for a whore. Did you ever love me?"

Ford moved over and nudged her face up to look at him. "I loved you from the moment I saw you. What I did was terrible but if you forgive me, I'll do whatever it takes to prove my worth to you"

The tears rand down her face now as she looked at him. "I want to believe you but with everything that's happened… it's just hard. I need some time to think about this. I'm going to go inside and join my friends, good night Ford." With that she turned and walked back in, avoiding his gaze as she walked.

She quickly applied more makeup and tried to cover the fact that she had been crying before joining the gang. She put on a brave face and sat next to Spike. They all knew something was wrong but no one said anything until Xander spoke up.

"So was that a friend of yours, Buffy?" he asked casually.

"Uh yea, we used to know each other in New York…" she said quietly as she avoided the questions in everyone's eyes.

"Oh, you could have invited him to stay if you wanted, we don't mind" Willow offered.

"Thanks. But no, Ford had to leave. He had a long flight and was tired… he said he might be around tomorrow though. He's going to come join lunch" This wasn't exactly true but it was enough to answer any questions.

Spike was looking at her strangely though, like he knew she was lying and trying to read the truth in her eyes. She got up suddenly and addressed everyone.

"I think I'm gonna get home now. I'm kinda beat… that's for inviting me guys, I had a lot of fun" she smiled and hurried out the door in case anyone decided to follow her. Spike sighed and went to get another drink. Things were certainly going to be interesting tomorrow…

She tried to sneak quietly into the house, only to find her mother waiting up for her.

"Hey Honey, how was your night?" The dam suddenly burst and she ran into Joyce's arms sobbing. Joyce wasn't sure what happened… she was so happy when she left.

"He's here mom… Ford" with these choked words, Joyce understood everything. He'd come to town and now she was broken again. She was really beginning to hate this kid.

"Oh Buffy…" she petted her hair and spoke soothing nonsense to her as Buffy cried. She had just got back some semblance of a life and the jerk was back to mess it up for her. Joyce was furious.

It was an hour later when she finally coaxed Buffy into bed. She knew she wasn't going to sleep but at least she could make her comfortable. As Buffy lie there sobbing away her sorrows, she didn't notice the light come on in the window directly across from her room. Nor did she notice her window was open just enough to make Spike aware of the situation.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

He almost hadn't heard anything. He was about to turn on his stereo when he heard the most heartbreaking sound. He knew it then that it was Buffy and she was in pain. He moved closer to the window and watched her sob into her pillow. He wanted so badly to go over and comfort her btu he wasn't sure she would let him. After watching her a few more minutes, he decided to act. He climbed the tree that was between the houses and knocked on her window softly.

She jumped a little when she noticed him but went over and opened the window for him, staring with big doe eyes.

"Come outside with me, love" he asked, reaching out his hand for hers.

She took it and joined him on the roof. Buffy loved it up there; everything just made more sense when she was outside looking up at the stars. She settled herself next to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

After a few minutes, he gained the courage to ask the question that had been on his mind. "He wasn't just a friend, was he?" it came out more as a statement than a question but her silence gave him his answer.

She sat up straight and looked into his eyes. "H-he was my first boyfriend. We dated until about two months ago…" she let the sentence hang there, not wanting to say any more than she had.

"And he hurt you" Spike was beginning to understand. He could tell already the guy was a git for hurting someone so special. If he had her, he would show her she was a queen every day.

"Yea… he cheated on me with my best friend and I suspect there were others. The worst part is that my friend, Faith ended up falling for him and she tried to kill me to get me out of the way. She's in the institution now and I thought I had left it all behind when I moved but…" she couldn't finish. Everything hit her like a ton of bricks and she just sat there trying not to picture Faith's face when she attacked her. To this day, she still had nightmares that Faith had found her… she shuddered at the thought.

Spike saw the distress in her face and put his arm around her, trying to make her feel safe. "It's alright Pet, I won't let anyone hurt you... you have my word"

"….he wants me to move home with him" she said so quietly, he almost didn't hear her.

"Fat lot of chance he has with that one… right?" Spike couldn't believe the nerve of the bloke! He cheats on her, almost gets her killed and then tries to get her to go with him like nothing happened. He had a feeling he and Ford would come to blows over this soon.

"Pet…?" he noticed she hadn't answered his question.

She looked up at him with bloodshot eyes. "I… don't know… he just- I thought he loved me and we were together for so long that I- I loved him too. Oh, I don't know what to do" she sobbed, the torment of her situation made clearer.

"Shh, it's okay love. Whatever you decided, I'll still be around to protect you" he kissed the top of her head and gave her an encouraging smile.

"You might be the nicest person I've ever met, Spike. I'm so lucky to have you as a friend" she spoke truthfully. The only real friend she had before was Faith and she broke her trust, but she could tell she was safe with Spike.

He just smiled at her words and put his arm around her as they looked up at the stars. He knew she was going to have a rough day tomorrow and he wanted to give her a few more minutes of peace. Eventually, he looked down at his watch and frowned.

"You better get to bed, Pet. It's getting pretty late…" her only response was soft but heavy breathing signaling she'd fallen asleep in his arms. Smiling to himself, he picked her up and carried her into her room and to bed. Trying to be quiet so as not to wake Joyce, he watched her sleep for a few minutes before he kissed her head and hurried back to his house. He kept the window cracked a bit this time in case she needed him.

In the next bedroom, Joyce smirked. She had seen and heard everything, even how William had carried her sleeping daughter to her bedroom so he wouldn't have to wake her. Yes, she rather liked this boy. She just hoped Buffy would see soon what it took Joyce only minutes to see. He was falling for her…


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The next day Buffy ghosted through her classes, not paying attention to anything or anyone. She could feel Spike's eyes on her but she couldn't summon the strength to even look in his direction. She knew he deserved better because of how kind he had been the previous night but she was just so torn. She had been really happy with Ford but then he did terrible things to her. Surely he couldn't really love her if he could betray her trust.

The bell rang to signal lunch and Buffy was out of her seat before Spike could blink. She had instant messaged Ford late last night to meet her at lunch. She spotted him in the crowd, sitting with her friends and she raced over. He was laughing at some story Willow was telling when he noticed her.

"Hey Buff, was just getting to know your friends a little bit" he said coolly.

"I want to talk to you. Now." Buffy was clearly angry but she didn't want to alarm anyone so she plastered a smile on her face. "Please Ford" she cooed.

Ford got up slowly and followed her to the courtyard. He had a feeling what she was going to say but he wouldn't interrupt her when she was this angry.

"Ford…" she started sitting down. "I've thought about what you asked an-"

"Go to The Bronze with me next week…" he blurted out, hoping to keep her from finishing her thought.

"What? The Bronze? I thought you were going home" This certainly threw her but she knew his game.

"Well I can stick around a little bit longer. Please, just say you'll go Buffy. I want to prove myself to you" he sounded so desperate that she couldn't say no.

"O-ok Ford. But then we need to have a little talk"

"You got it Buffy, we'll talk about whatever you want but after The Bronze" he knew she would eventually crumble and was feeling very pleased with himself at the moment.

"Fine. I need to get back inside. Goodbye" she said softly as she went back inside.

_It wasn't exactly what I wanted but it was a start…_

"Everything alright, Pet?" Spike saw her distraught expression as she sat down. He had a feeling that Ford bloke had something to do with it.

"What? Oh yea. Everything's fine. I'm sorry, I'm late for a class" she ran off before Spike had the chance to tell her lunch wasn't over for another half hour. He searched the halls looking for her, finally finding her sitting in the corner in the library.

He sat down gently next to her and just waited for her to say something.

She sensed him the second he opened the door. "He wants me to go with him to The Bronze so he can try to win me back" she whispered.

Spike could see she had been crying. He took a chance and put his arm around her, bringing her close. He sighed in relief when she moved into his side willingly. He could kill the git for stressing her out so much. If he really loved her, he wouldn't be putting so much pressure on her. They sat there in comfortable silence until the bell rang, and then he helped her to her feet and escorted her to class.

She remained quiet for the rest of the day, only speaking when spoken to but looking otherwise broken. Even the way home with Spike, she looked so lost and broken that it was killing him inside. At least the big Bronze date was tonight and she could go on living after that. He didn't want to think about what her decision would be… he'd gotten close to her and he didn't want to let her go now.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

It was almost time to go and Buffy had expected Ford to pick her up but he was still a no-show. After twenty more minutes of waiting, she finally had enough so she grabbed her coat and walked toward The Bronze. She was halfway there when she heard someone calling her name. She turned and smiled when she realized it was Spike.

"Oi Buffy, take cross country or somethin'?" he teased as he caught up.

"Yea, or something" she laughed. She supposed her cheerleading years had made her sort of athletic.

"So what, _Fork_ forget where you live?" he joked but he could tell she was disappointed he didn't show. Some blokes just have no class.

"No, For_d _probably just forgot about tonight. It's nothing I'm not used to so I'm just going to enjoy myself tonight"

"Bloody fool is what he is" Spike muttered under his breath as they entered the club.

As they joined the gang, they noticed the decorations on stage were different than what they normally put up for Karaoke night.

"Wow, it looks great in here. Wonder what the occasion is"

"Hey there Folk, I bet you're wonderin' what the deal is… well, we got ourselves a special guest tonight. Give it up for Johnny Ford!"

At that, Ford stepped onstage. He had his hair slicked back and a white leisure coat on. "Buffy Summers, will you come up and join me please?"

The spotlight found her and before she knew it, she was on stage with him. A band behind him started to play and he grabbed the microphone. _So this is why he didn't show…_

She was about to sit on a stool while he sang when he grabbed her up to slow dance as he sang to her.

_I can't believe it's over  
I watched the whole thing fall  
And I never saw the writing that was on the wall  
If I only knew  
Days were slipping past  
That the good things never last  
That you were crying_

Summer turned to winter  
And the snow it turned to rain  
Then the rain turned into tears upon your face  
I hardly recognize the girl you are today  
And God I hope it's not too late  
It's not too late  
'Cause you are not alone  
I'm always there with you  
And we'll get lost together  
Till the light comes pouring through  
When you feel like you're done  
And the darkness has won  
Babe, you're not lost  
When your world's crashing down  
And you can't bear the thought  
I said, babe, you're not lost

Life can show no mercy  
It can tear your soul apart  
It can make you feel like you've gone crazy  
But you're not  
Things have seemed to changed  
There's one thing that's still the same  
In my heart you have remained  
And we can fly, fly, fly away

As the song came to an end, Ford kissed Buffy softly. Everything happened so quickly she didn't have time to react. Ford was never one for romantic gestures, so this blew her completely out of the water. She didn't notice though, Spike as he left the club. He'd seen enough and he was now seething. He thought if he stayed, he would have jumped up there and beaten the ponce bloody. Course that could have ended badly what with her not pushing Ford away or anything. He hoped that didn't mean she was going to take him back.

"Ford, that was beautiful… thank you" she swooned to him later at the table.

"I just wanted you to know how I felt before you made your decision. Forget all the other girls, all I see is you" He kissed her again lightly. "I better get you home, it's getting late" he grabbed her jacket from the chair and ushered her out despite her protests.

Spike was finally heading home when he saw Ford, but he was heading away from his hotel. Curious as to where he was headed, Spike took pursuit. He hid behind a tree where he saw him stop at a house a couple of streets from Buffy's house. His jaw dropped to the ground when he saw who answered the door…. Harmony Kendall, the school whore.

"That wanker, I can't believe him after that little show he put on" he growled under his breathe. This had to stop now. He needed to do something before Buffy got hurt again by this jerk.

Quickly he raced to her house and climbed the tree by her window. She was passed out but after knocking a couple of times she woke up and looked at him.

"Spike?" she opened the window and stared, still kind of groggy.

"The-there's something you need to see" he said nervously.

"Spike, it's 2 a.m., can't you just tell me or show me tomorrow"

"No. Look, you'll miss it if you don't come right now and you really out to know"

He was being mysterious but she knew he wouldn't purposely hurt her so with no further argument, she waited for him to turn around while she quickly got dressed.

They walked in silence for a few blocks before stopping in front of a house. "Spike, what are w-"

"Just wait pet. You'll see"

Just then the door opened and out came Ford with a scantily clad Harmony on his arm. He bent to kiss her and headed off into the night. All Buffy could do was just stand there dumbly before she took off running after him. As she caught off, she barreled into his side causing him to fall to the ground.

"You son of a bitch, after what you did tonight… I'll kill you!' the words came out more violent than she had intended but she wouldn't say she didn't enjoy the horror and confusion that shown in his eyes.

As she punched him in the face he tried to get any denial he could out. "What are you talking about? I didn't do anything, you crazy bitch!"

"CRAZY BITCH? YOU WERE WITH HARMONEY AND I'M THE CRAZY BITCH?" As soon as he said it, Ford knew it was a mistake. His words did nothing but fire her up more as her assaults got more violent and she could no longer recognize his face. Eventually she felt a strong pair of arms yanking her away.

"That's enough, love. I think he knows he pissed you off" Spike was laughing at how much damage she did to him but was soon sobered when he saw how torn up she was.

She tried to speak when she looked up at Spike, but couldn't find her voice. "I-I…"

"It's okay Pet, let's go" he gently pulled her away leaving Ford a mess on the ground.

They walked for awhile until they decided to head back. "You're a good friend, Spike" she said through her tears.

"Anything for you, love. I'm really sorry for that git. I just didn't want you to be surprised later…"

"I just can't believe he would do that to me after everything he said and did tonight" she sighed.

"Guys a wanker, let's just get you inside Pet. Things will look better in the morning" he gently pulled her to the tree. She needed to rest, he knew tonight took a lot out of her and he also couldn't help but feel extremely guilty.

As she climbed to the window, she turned back to look at him. "Spike, will you stay with me until I fall asleep? You don't have to; I just didn't want to be alone…"

The look on her face broke his heart so he climbed in beside her and whispered "sure" as she got into bed.

He looked around the room before settling on her lounger chair. "Ah, modern torture device, the comfy chair" he laughed.

"Actually, would you…hold me?" she asked shyly.

His jaw dropped but he managed to nod and carefully crawled into the bed beside her, wrapping his arms around her petite frame. He didn't think he could have been happier as he took in her scent, putting it to memory in case he never got this chance again.

_This feels right_, Buffy realized as she scooted closer into his embrace. A few minutes later, she was sound asleep as he pet her hair and whispered soothing nonsense.

He would have given anything to hold her all night but knew they would be in deep if her mom caught them. Kissing her forehead and tucking her in, Spike went quickly back to his own room. He woke feeling great, having dreamt of his blonde goddess all night.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Buffy woke with a start. She had a smile on her face as she sat up but soon remembered the previous nights events… soon she found herself tearing up. _How could Ford lie to her face like that? _It was clear he only wanted to possess her.

Looking around, she picked up some clothes that were strewn about when she noticed a black jacket on her lounger. Recognizing it immediately, she tried to remember when he had left it. She picked up the jacket and found herself breathing in his scent. _What am I doing? Just because he's handsome, caring and I obviously lov-….crap. _She needed to get his jacket back to him soon.

She walked with determination in her step over to Spike's house. She was on a mission and would not let him distract her; she would just hand him the jacket and walk away… simple, right?

She marched up to the door and knocked, waiting for him to answer. She expected to see him but now… shirtless? She blushed a shade of crimson and looked away. He smirked at her, knowing what she thought and quickly put on the shirt he was holding.

"How are you, pet?" he found it adorable that she was blushing because of him. He inched closer, and found his coat being shoved in his face.

"Here, you left this last night" she said, blushing even more if that were possible.

He took the jacket and grinned at her. "Thanks for returning it, love. Was wondering where it got to" he brushed her hand as he took it and she smiled for a second before quickly pulling her hand away.

"I-well, I better get going. I need to get dressed and everything" she looked down and had just realized she was wearing her Yummy Sushi pajamas. Embarrassing. She turned to go but found his hand lightly holding her back.

"Come back over when you're finished, I'd like to walk you" he smiled sweetly at her. She nodded and hurried back to her house.

Buffy picked a sexy red top and black skirt with a split up the side and ran back out to meet Spike.

She spotted him helping his mom to the car and ran up to say hello. "Hi, Mrs. Pratt!" she smiled brightly, handing the bag she dropped to the older woman.

"Well hello Buffy, William told me you were walking to school together today" Seeing her son's urgency for her to go, she laughed and waved at the two. "Off to work, it was nice seeing you Buffy. Come visit us more often! I'll see you at supper, William" she kissed her son quickly and drove off leaving the two staring at each other.

"So, should we go?" Buffy asked nervously. She wasn't sure why he was smiling at her like that… it was almost like he had a secret she wasn't privy to.

"Of course Pet, after you" he said holding his arm out for her to hold onto.

It was a simple gesture but Buffy's heart always leapt at it. She wished every guy was as sweet and thoughtful as Spike was.

She took his arm and they walked together in comfortable silence once again. Every couple of minutes she stole a glance at him but a few times he was looking back at her with those intense cerulean eyes. She was amazed by how they hadn't said a word to each other but were actually speaking volumes.

Spike wanted Buffy to be his and his alone but wouldn't dare to think she could want the same thing; And Buffy, well she was afraid of being hurt again… whether or not she thought Spike could really do that to her. It was this irrational fear that kept the two silent thought it was loud and clear to their friends.

The next day during lunch, Willow leaned over to Dawn looking very conspicuous. "We need to get them together or it will never happen"

"Who? Spike and Buffy? I don't know why they don't just go out already. From the way they always stare at each other when the other isn't looking… and I know my brother goes over there when she has a nightmare. I've seen him do it" she grinned. It was no secret that her brother comforted Buffy sometimes at night. It just made his feelings more obvious to Dawn.

"That's what I'm saying!" Willow squeaked and noticed Spike and Buffy now staring at them. "Sorry, Dawn was telling me about last night's episode of House" she was a terrible liar but they seemed satisfied. Buffy went back to turning down Angel (his reputation for being a player got back to her and she decided they should just be friends), and Spike went back to laughing at Angel's defeat.

Dawn Smirked at the scene and leaned over again "Ok I'm in; we'll talk later"

This was going to be fun.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

It was a quarter to eight when Willow met Dawn in the Pratt's front yard. They discussed what they were going to do and were going to put their plans in motion. Willow was to work on Buffy and Dawn would work on Spike. Neither thought this would take much effort to convince them.

"Show time!" Willow laughed as she walked up to Buffy's door. It was a Bronze night and she decided to walk with her this time. Buffy looked a little disappointed but the meaning was not lost on Willow and Dawn since Spike had the same look on his face. That only solidified their plans. Angel was totally in on his part in this and with a little prodding at their friend Tara; she was in on it too. This was just too easy.

As they walked in, Tara jumped into action. "Hey S-Spike, you wanna dance?" she hadn't waited for a response before pulling him onto the dance floor. Buffy laughed at the scene until she saw how close Tara was getting to him. It almost looked like they were having sex on the dance floor. She could feel the green-eyed monster rearing its ugly head as she watched them.

Spike hoped Buffy wasn't there yet but as he twirled Tara around, he saw the blonde now shooting daggers at them both. _Damn. _Part of him was mortified and wanted to throw Tara off but the other part enjoyed knowing she was jealous. If she felt jealousy, it stood to reason that she felt something for _him._

Buffy was angry but she was not going to give him the satisfaction of showing it. Angel was grinning at the show, and pulled her out of her chair. "Let's dance!" He brought her to the dance floor and settled next to Tara and Spike.

The song playing wasn't particularly slow but Buffy clung to Angel regardless, leaving no room between their bodies. His hands on her hips and her arms around his neck, she rested her head against his chest as they moved to the music.

Spike. Was . Furious. He knew logically he didn't have the right to be mad… she wasn't his girl. But to him, she would always be his because he loved her. He had enough so he grabbed Tara by the waist and whirled her around so her back was to him. With a grin, he kissed her neck, eliciting a moan from this girl. Tara could feel him poking against her leg and knew the plan was working. So she decided to have a little fun. She leaned back and wrapped her arms around his neck while rubbing her ass against him. She felt him shudder and held her tighter.

_So that's the game he wants to play…_ Buffy thought as she watched. She turned back to Angel and kissed him passionately. Smiling against her, he pulled her in deeper and knotted his hands in her hair. She moaned into his lips and didn't put up a fight as he led her towards the back of the club. The store room was never monitored so he knew they could have privacy.

Spike was enjoying the look on her face until he saw Buffy and Angel's little make out session right in front of everyone. Then he was pulling her to the back of the club. _Oh no… the store room… _ He knew what Angel intended and it infuriated him. Angel was NOT going to have HIS Buffy. He tore away from Tara and took off after the pair.

Across the club, two girls were applauding the performance. "Spike looks really mad!" laughed Dawn.

"And did you see the way Buffy looked when Tara was rubbing up against him? Priceless. If they don't figure things out after this… they never will"


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Spike found them about to enter the store room and quickly tore into Buffy. "Where the HELL do you think you're going Buffy?" he spat.

She turned looked at him disinterested. "Angel and I were just going to… talk" he had no right talking to her after the show he just put on.

"Yea. Talk." Angel grinned, the suggestion in his tone apparent. Pulling Buffy closer, he made lewd gestures behind her.

"You know damn well you weren't going to talk and I will not allow this to happen"

"You won't _allow _this? What, are you my father? And since when do you care anyway? I saw how cozy you were getting with Tara up there" she was not going to let him get off easy, she knew he was trying to make her jealous but not entirely sure why.

"I care, you daft bint because I care about what happens to you. Because I-" he stopped himself before going too far. He didn't want to admit his love like this and especially since he didn't know how she felt about him. He wanted to believe her display of jealousy meant she loved him too but he wouldn't get his hopes up… she had to say it.

"Because you care? Is that the only reason, because I don't really believe that" No one noticed Angel leaving the scene chuckling to himself. He really liked messing with Spike.

"Yes that's all" he lied. "And why did you get so worked up about Tara anyway? It's not like we're together or something. What do you want from me? To never even look at another girl? I won't do it." He was completely bluffing but he had to nudge her to get the information he needed.

"I guess I feel possessive of you, I don't like the idea of other girls being with you… Ikindofloveyou… " she sped quickly through the last part hoping he wouldn't notice.

"Sorry, didn't quite catch that last part, Pet." He wasn't going to let her get out of this one so easy if she said what he thought she did.

"I said…" she took a deep breath. "I love you…" She waited for him to make fun of her or get sarcastic but she did not expect him to take her into his arms and she really didn't expect him to kiss her… but he did. It started sweet and soft turning more passionate as they unleashed all the feelings they had held inside for each other.

"Buffy…" he moaned into her mouth. He couldn't believe everything had been so easy. He would tell her. Everything could be perfect now and he would take care of her forever. She was his. He could cry for how happy he was right now.

Buffy was overwhelmed by how much she was feeling. She had told Spike she loved him and he didn't get freaked out or run away. If he'd have her, she would make life so good for him. She would never stray, never lie. She would love him and him alone for always. She hoped he felt the same… she didn't want to look a fool again.

She pulled back from their embrace and looked up at him. "What now?" she looked almost frightened; like she thought he was going to reveal this was all some sort of sick joke.

"Well Love, what I figure is I love you and I'm not letting you go for anything. How does that sound to you?" He smiled softly and cupped her face.

"I love you too, Spike" no more needed to be said as he kissed her again on the cheek and led them back to the table.

He could see the confusion on everyone's face as they walked over. They had disappeared after all for nearly fifteen minutes after Angel came back. From the look on the two's faces though, there was no question as to what happened.

Dawn was the first to rush over, hugging them both. When she released them, she smacked Spike on the back of the head. "See, Big Brother… I told you it wasn't a big deal…. Bonehead"

"Hey! Watch it, Bit" he laughed going to sit with the group.

Buffy sighed contently as she sat in Spike's lap. Her life in Sunnydale started out bumpy but she knew with Spike by her side, everything was blue skies from now on.

((Well…. What do you think? I know it took me forever to get it uploaded but I had to get a whole new computer lol. Anyway, comment away!))


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